Skill Level
Intermediate
Time to Make
2 hours + drying time for glue and paint
Adult Supervision Needed
Yes
How to Make
- Draw some simple pencil lines onto a wooden mask, marking the position of the mouth and eyebrows on Medusa’s face. Fold some pipe cleaners in half, twist then bend, roughly following the shapes of the lines. For the eyes and mouth, join and twist the ends of the pipe cleaners together to make hoops then bend into shape. Brush plenty glue over the mask, then press the pipe cleaners on top to make a raised design for the face. It’s easier to stick pipe cleaners onto the mask if the glue is left for a few minutes so it becomes tacky. Leave to dry.
- To make a snake, twist 3 pipe cleaners together then bend 2-3cm at one end so the wires are folded over. To add a head, fold a single pipe cleaner in half then wrap it around end of the snake in a ‘Y’ shape for the mouth. Paste glue over a strip of tissue paper, wrap it around the snake and leave to dry. You could also make snakes with heads at both the ends of the pipe cleaners. Or, for a simpler method make the snakes with closed mouths.
- Brush glue over the face then press green tissue over the top, or use another colour if you prefer. Paste the tissue over the pipe cleaners so the raised design stands out clearly. Paste the tissue over the edges of the mask and through the eyes. Leave to dry.
- Lightly brush gold paint over Medusa’s face. Brush red paint around the eyes and inside the mouth. Brush white paint over the teeth. Leave to dry.
- Twist the snakes to tighten the tissue paper around the pipe cleaners then lightly brush gold paint over the top. Brush red paint inside the mouths. Leave to dry.
- Bend the snakes into curvy shapes then glue the ends onto the back of the mask. It’s quick and easy to attach the snakes using a glue gun, or for PVA use plenty glue making sure the ends are stuck down and fully dried before handling the mask. Double-headed snakes can be bent into a ‘U’ shape then glued in the middle. Add sticker gems for the eyes.
Top Tip
Make some extra snakes including longer pieces without heads as extra pieces of hair.
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